1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reclining seat for use in an automobile, with a pair of movable armrests provided at the respective both lateral sides of seat back of the seat, in which the seat back is inclinable forwardly and backwardly relative to a seat cushion by means of a reclining device, and the armrests are rotatable forwardly and backwardly relative to the seat cushion, independent of the seat back.
2. Description of Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, there has been known an automotive reclining seat with a pair of movable armrests provided the respective both lateral sides of a seat back. Namely, according to the hitherto seat of this kind as in FIG. 1, a pair of independent seat backs (SB)(SB) are connected to the backward end of a seat cushion (SC) by means of a pair of reclining devices (RD)(RD), respectively, such that each of the two seat backs (SB)(SB) may be inclined independently of each other by operating corresponding one of the two reclining devices (RD)(RD). The reclining devices (RD)(RD) are each provided at the respective both lateral sides of the seat cushion (SC'). As indicated by the phantom line, the reclining device (RD) has an upper arm (RD2) fixed to the seat back (SB) and a lower arm (RD1) fixed to the seat cushion (SC'). Thus, as viewed from FIG. 1, each of the left and right seat backs (SB)(SB) may be inclined adjustably in the fore-and-aft direction by operation of the corresponding one of the left and right reclining devices (RD)(RD).
A pair of movable armrests (A')(A') are each mounted at the respective outward lateral sides of the two seat backs (SB)(SB), via their respective support shafts (A2'), such as to be rotatable between the upright non-use position where the armrest is located upright along the lateral side of the seat back, and the horizontal use position where the armrest lies horizontally in parallel with the upper surface of seat cushion. Each of the movable armrests (A')(A') has a push button (A4') provided at its forward end. Depressing the push button (A4) releases the locked state of the armrest (A') at the upright non-use position, so that the armrest (A') may be disposed from the non-use position down to the horizontal use position.
With the above-described construction, in view of the armrest (A') being mounted laterally of the seat back (SB), it is inevitably required to dispose the reclining device (RD) under the armrest (A') in order that the upper arm (RD2) of reclining device (RD) is fixed on the lateral wall of seat back (SB). This, in turn, requires forming a cut-away area (SC5) at the backward lateral portion of seat cushion (SC') in order to accommodated therein the reclining device (RD) so that the lower arm (RD1) thereof, which extends generally on the same line with the upper arm (RD2), is fixed on the lateral wall of seat cushion (SC').
Although not shown clearly, the cut-away area (SC5) is formed on both backward lateral portions of seat cushion (SC'), and thus there are a pair of such cut-away areas, on the left and right sides, to thereby accommodate therein the two reclining devices (RD)(RD), respectively.
However, such formation of cut-away areas (SC5) results in producing the narrow width (W1) in the backward end region of seat cushion (SC') in comparison with the original width (W2) of seat cushion (SC'). Namely, when the armrest (A) is located at the upright non-use position, the reclining device (RD) is found situated at the end of the narrow width (W1), which actually narrows the seating area in that width, with the result that an occupant sitting on the seat has to feel uncomfortable or cramped with such limited seating area, and will contact the reclining device (RD), feeling uneasy with its hard touch.
Furthermore, in spite of the fact that the armrest (A) per se, when held at the upright non-use position, may be used as a part of the seat back (SB) to enlarge the back support surface area for supporting the back of a passenger on the seat, the presence of the reclining device (RD) under the armrest (A) is indeed an obstacle preventing the passenger from leaning against the surface of armrest (A).